textproduct: Amarillo

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 842 PM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

- Abnormally warm temperatures in the 90s are expected later this week into the first half of the weekend, where some record highs can occur.

SHORT TERM

(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 842 PM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

A high pressure system over the southwestern portions of the U.S. will build eastward into the southern plains over the next couple days. This high pressure system will keep dry air across the panhandles through the next couple of days leading to mainly sunny skies. This will be coupled with broad subsidence heating from the high pressure. Both of these will continue the warming trend across the panhandles for both days keeping the temperatures well above normal. The highs today will range mainly in the 80s and then increase to the 80s and 90s for Thursday. There is some limited concern for elevated fire weather conditions based on the dry conditions. However the lack of any meaningful winds will keep the fire weather threat low.

LONG TERM

(Friday through next Tuesday) Issued at 842 PM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026

The high pressure system has a very high chance of building further eastward across the southern plains for Friday and Saturday. This in turn means that there is a high chance for further hot conditions across the panhandles for the remainder of the week. Those most likely high temperatures will remain in the 90s but there is a moderate chance for the triple digits to make their first appearance for this year. Such heat will be close to or even breaching record high values. The elevated fire conditions based on just the dryness has a high chance of remaining across the panhandles for the rest of the week.

A change up to the weather has an increasing chance of occurring on Sunday as a weather system flattens out and then pushes away the high pressure from the southern plains. This would bring a noticeable dip in the heat that will be baking the panhandles. This system most likely will not bring any moisture to the southern plains so conditions are most likely to remain dry. This can be an issue as the passage of this weather system has better chances than not to bring breezy conditions. Winds coupled with dry means increased fire weather conditions that have a low chance of becoming critical.

The weather pattern is most likely to turn into a neutral west to east flow for the middle portions of next week. This makes it more likely for stagnant weather conditions so breezy, warm, and dry will most likely persist.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 559 AM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

VFR conditions are expected through this TAF forecast period. Winds will turn variable this afternoon then gradually trend toward southwesterly to northwesterly by late tonight. Winds will remain at around 10 kts or less throughout this period.

AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...None. OK...None.